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August 16 th 2023 - 19:00 [GMT + 2]
It’s time for the annual meeting of the pro peloton in Northern Norway. 107 riders from 23 nations split over 18 teams will enter the 10th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway, which is set to be entirely held above the Arctic Circle.
Two former winners of the race are taking part this year, and are deemed to be the biggest favorites for overall victory: Norway’s Andreas Leknessund and Belgium’s Dylan Teuns. Cofidis’ Guillaume Martin and Uno-X’s Tobias Halland Johannessen hope to give them a run for their money.
The Arctic Race of Norway is often decided by a very tiny gap. Stage 3 to Havøysund is expected to be the the key one in the fight for the Midnight Sun jersey – yet the stage 4 to the Nordkapp (the North Cape) “can turn the race upside down” according to Race Director Yannick Talabardon.
10 editions, 80 stops and 9.100 kilometres
It’s the 10th edition of the Arctic Race Norway, the Northernmost stage race in road cycling. As in every month of August since 2013, with the sole unavoidable exception of 2020 due to the global pandemic, a world-class peloton is ready to take on the challenge of riding in lumpy, unique roads against the breathtaking backdrop of Northern Norway’s wilderness. The Arctic Race of Norway is the biggest sporting event held in this region, and it’s fully embraced by the community here as shown by the Equinor Bike campaign. Over the last few months, the 80 municipalities in Northern Norway have been visited by this special bike. It has gone from town to town, from mayor to mayor, all the way from Bindal to Nordkapp, covering 9.100 kilometres while visiting the most renowned spots in the area. “Thanks to this initiative, everyone in Northern Norway has a piece of this race,” celebrates Knut-Eirik Dybdal, Managing Director of this Arctic Race of Norway.
How tight is too tight?
The biggest margin for the overall winner of the Arctic Race of Norway on his runner-up is the diminutive 29-second gap that Dylan Teuns held over August Jensen on the final GC of the 2017 edition. Two years later, Alexey Lutsenko beat Warren Barguil by the narrowest of the margins – one second! Are we about to watch another close battle for the Midnight Sun jersey again this year? “It’s a part of the identity of this event,” says Race Director Yannick Talabardon with a knowing smile. “We try to keep the tiniest possible gaps up until the last meter of the race. To do so, we begin with two flat stages, although this year’s second stage to Hammerfest features a new finish that is better suited for riders with a strong uphill kick rather than for pure sprinters. Afterwards we schedule a third stage with a mountaintop finish – in this case, 2,2 steep kilometres in Havøysund. And, as a final treat, we always find a course that can turn the race upside down – as this year with the lumpy way and iconic stage finish at Cape North.” Weather will be a defining factor yet again. “Summer has been nice in Northern Norway, but it is seemingly over. Temperatures are down to around 12ºC, and it will be cloudy all week long. Wind will also come into play, as it will blow strongly and the roads are quite exposed, particularly in the final two days. Good news is there won’t be much too much rain – just some showers.”
Leknessund and Teuns, two favorites who know the trade
Two former winners of the Arctic Race of Norway are due to take the start tomorrow in Kautokeino, home of the Sami culture, aiming to repeat the victory they obtained back in their day. Current champion Andreas Leknessund leads the Team dsm-firmenich charge. “What my shape is like? Very good question,” says the Norwegian rider. “I was a bit sick last week, but now I’m healthy again. Yet we know that, in this race, anything can happen. I didn’t feel great last year, indeed, and ended up winning the GC.” Supporting his chances will be USA’s Kevin Vermaerke and Australia’s Matthew Dinham, with the latter hoping to follow on his breakthrough rides in the Tour de France (where he featured in many breakaways) and the UCI Road World Championships (7th). “It’s going to be an interesting race,” Dinham foresees. “The small size of the teams, at six riders each, will make it hard to control.” The other former overall winner in contention is Israel-Premier Tech’s Dylan Teuns. “My legs have felt good in the last training rides,” says the Belgian. “It’s always hard to call how the race is going to play out, because there are many good cyclists here.” His uphill kick pedigree, with a triumph in La Flèche Wallonne, touts him as the man-to-beat on Saturday’s finish in Havøysund. “We’ll see,” he smiles. Like Dinham and Teuns, Guillaume Martin comes to this event after participating in the Tour de France. The Cofidis’ rider did enter the Arctic Race of Norway once, back in 2019. “And it was not a pleasant week, because I crashed, but I remember with great awe all the landscapes we rode through. This year I will also enjoy those landscapes – but I didn’t come to Norway just for sightseeing purposes! I also intend to contend for the GC.”
Uno-X hoping to “turn things around” from last year
Norway’s biggest team, Uno-X, is entering the Arctic Race of Norway for the ninth time in its history. Over the years it has won two stages, both scored by Markus Hoelgaard with late surges in Narvik (2019) and Tromsø (2021). In the last edition to date, Uno-X started the race with high ambitions, managed to make an impression by pulling from the bunch for many kilometers… yet failed to get a result. “We have prepared really well for this year in the hope of turning things around,” states its leader Tobias Holland Johannessen. “Last year we were very unlucky,” explains his teammate Frederik Dversnes. “Some riders were battling with injuries, and Tobias had just overcome salmonella. That’s why it wasn’t our best race. We hope to be luckier this time.” Johannessen just enjoyed an excellent Tour de France in July, finishing four stages inside the top10: “I’m feeling quite well and hope to have my Tour legs in this race.” Meanwhile, Dversnes was training in altitude and had the time to go over the race route in detail. “The fourth stage will be the hardest, yet the most decisive one will be the third,” he asserts. “There are many scenarios you can try and play out in this race. I think most riders will wait and focus on the final climb on Saturday, while on Sunday you can go on the offensive as early as you want.” Both Johannessen and Dversnes agree in one other point: “As Norwegians, we are used to riding in harsh conditions… So, we hope for the worst possible weather!”
From Peacock to Midnight Sun: these are the five jerseys up for grabs
Five jerseys will be awarded every day on the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway. The Midnight Sun jersey will be owned by the first rider in the overall classification, while the Blue one is for the leader of the Points classification and the White one is meant to be worn by the best young rider – that is, the best rider in the GC amongst those born from January 1st 1998 on. Both bonus seconds (for the GC) and points (for the Points classification) will be up for grabs at intermediate sprints (3”, 2”, 1” for the first three riders, as well as 3pts, 2pts and 1pt) and finish lines (10”, 6” and 4” for the top three riders, as well as up to 15pts for the first ten cyclists). The Peacock jersey will distinguish the best climber. As a general rule, riders can score 3pts, 2pts and 1pt on every climb – yet there will be a Super KOM climb on each stage awarding double points. The best teammate of every stage according to a vote conducted in social media will be presented with the Viking jersey on the podium ceremony, while a jury will award a red bib to the most active rider of the day. The team classification will be the other prize at stake over the week.
